Guide to cleaning silver tarnished coins

Tarnished coin

Silver coins have become an obsession with people. Ever since they stopped being circulated, they have become a highly desirable silver articles and collectible. A few things must be kept in mind before cleaning silver tarnished coins. The older is the coin, higher is the value it can fetch. However, if the silver tarnish coin has undergone silver tarnish removal procedure, its value reduced significantly. Also, coins must always be cleaned through a profession cleaning service because they are having a high market value to be cleaned by an amateur. If the date of minting of the coin is not known, then it is better to leave the coin alone rather than clean the tarnish. However, if the coin is of low value or comparatively newer minting date, then no harm can come by getting the tarnish cleaned.

There are two methods which are generally used for cleaning silver tarnished coins. These are chemical dips and polishing.

Chemical dips involve using a chemical agent to remove a layer from the surface of the silver article completely. A layer of silver gets dissolved by the chemical dip in the process. Chemical dips are easily available in the market and it removes the tarnish very quickly. It is important that the chemical dip being used should not be too strong. It should only be a mild agent. Homemade dips can also be used. One such agent is a baking soda and salt mix with aluminium as an electrolyte. This method can be effective used at home for cleaning silver tarnished coins. However, if it is a rare and old silver coin, then the coin should be cleaned from a professional cleaner. Professional cleaners also use chemical dips but more advanced ones which ensure minimal damage and silver removal from the coin. This method is the more popular method of cleaning silver tarnished coins.

The other method of cleaning silver tarnished coins is using a polishing agent. There are various polishing agents available in the market. However one problem with such a polishing agent is that inferior quality of polishing agent will cause scratches on the coin, thus damaging its beauty and shine. It is important to use a very soft cloth while polishing the silver coin. Professional collectors generally hand rubs their coins to keep the coins free of tarnish and without any scratches.

Therefore the cleaning of silver coin is a very important process and attention must be given to the cleaning of the coin because silver coin of value is rare and their value diminishes with cleaning of silver tarnish.